Gate latch



June 18, 1957 H. c. SCHLOER GATE LATCH Filed April 4, 1955 FIG.3.

FIG. 2-

INVENTOR. HENRY C. SCHLOER ATTORNEY nited States Patent GATE LATCH Henry C. Schloer, Greene, N. Y.

Application April 4, 1955, Serial No. 498,856

3 Claims. (Cl. 292-34117) This invention relates to improvements in .a gate latch and, while not limited thereto, it willbe described as a gate latch for use in fastening a gate of the type disclosed in my application entitled Improvements in Gates filed under even date in closed position.

A gate as disclosed in my aforesaid application is of the vertically operating type, that is to say, it swings in a vertical plane, and it moreover is biased to open or raised position by spring or equivalent means. Hence, normally to maintain the gate in its lowered or closed position requires the provision of hold-down means effective between the free ends of the gate and a related vertical member such as a latch post against which the gate closes. As explained in my application aforesaid, such hold-down means may comprise a latch bar rigid with and extending from the free end of the gate, and more particularly extending from the cantilever beam constituting the main structural element thereof, to the front side of the latch post, and a downwardly facing keeper hook affixed to the post and being operative, by securing the latch bar entering the hook from below against upward movement past the horizontal, similarly to secure the gate or its cantilever beam against moving upwardly .past the horizontal, thereby effecting fastening of the gate in its lowered or closed position.

While effective as gate hold-down means, such a latch bar-keeper hook combination is open to the objection that the latch bar may be disengaged, i. e. lowered, from the hook by a moderate pressure or weight applied accidentally or otherwise in downward direction to the gate as a whole or to the part thereof such as the cantilever beam, or even to the folding apron. And if lowering of the latch bar is accompaniedby but a limited lateral force tending to swing it horizontally away from the keeper hook, the gate will spring open (raise) of its own .accord, which is of course not a desirable type of operation.

Recognizing the above, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a latch for gates which are biased to swing in a vertical plane to open position, which is characterized by simple yet thoroughly dependable construction and an effective and practical mode of operation.

More particularly, the invention aims to provide a gate latch designed for use with vertically swinging gates and functioning normally to fasten the gate in its lowered or closing position, which combines with the more or less conventional gate hold-down means consisting of latch bar and keeper hook a latching member serving, once the latch bar enters the keeper hook, to secure the latch bar against unintentional or accidental movement therefrom, to the end that the gate can be raised only after purposeful manipulation of the said latching member, as is required to slip the latch bar from the hook.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a gate latch consisting of a latch bar, keeper hook and latching member combination, wherein said parts are so arranged and related to permit the use of a padlock there- "ice with, said padlock serving to positively lock the latch bar against movement from the keeper book.

The above and other objects and features of advantage of a gate latch as herein proposed will appear from the following detailed description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred form of the gate latch applied to a vertically operating gate of the type disclosed in my aforesaid application entitled Improvement in Gates, filed under even date, wherein- Fig. *1 is a perspective view of a gate generally as disclosed in my said application;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken-away perspective view illustrating the constructional details of the gate latch parts; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the latch post, illustrating the keeper hook and associated latching member in edge view, as well as the manner in which the latching member functions to secure the latch bar (shown in vertical section) against accidental or unintentional disengagement fro-m the keeper hook, and the positive locking of said parts by a padlock.

Referring to the drawing, a gate lach according to the present invention will be described as the latching or fastening means of a vertically operating gate designated 10, Fig. 1, which corresponds generally to the gate disclosed and claimed in my application aforesaid. Such a gate is characterized by a main structural member 12 in the form of a cantilever beam which is pivotally mounted at one end to a pivot shaft 14 projecting 'at a right angle to the direction of the gate opening from a support-ing post 16, the other end of the beam reaching substantially to a latch post 18.

The cantilever beam supports a barrier or apron of a type which is adapted to fold against the beam upon the latter swinging from a horizontal position corresponding to the closed position of the gate to a substantially vertical or gate-open position. Illustrative'ly, such an apron comprises vertical end stays 20, 22, which are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the beam 12, a bottom horizontal member 24 extending substantially coextensively with the beam :12 and being pivotally connected at its ends to the lower ends of said vertical stays, intermediate vertical componeuts '26 extending between and pivotally connected to the beam and bottom member and intermediate horizontal components 2'8 extending between said vertical end stays 20, 22.

A vertically operating gate as generally described is further characterized by the fact that it is biased to swing to its raised or open position by appropriate means which :illustratively comprises an elongated coil spring 60 in tension between a fixed lower point 1011 the supporting post 16 and the extended arm 32a of a saddle 32 into which the connected end of the cantilever beam 20 is fitted and in whose spaced arms the pivot shaft has bearing, it being noted that the point of connection of the spring 60 to the saddle arm 32a is well to the side of the pivot shaft 14 opposite the gate opening. Thus, by proper tensioning of the spring 30, it not only counterweights the beam 12 and the folding apron or barrier suspended therefrom, but also it supplies a lifting force to the gate as a whole which tends to bias the same to its raised or open position. it becomes evident, therefore, that means must be provided at the free or raising end of the gate to normally maintain the gate in its lowered or closed position in which it is shown in Fig. "1.

According to the present invention, there is provided combined hold-down and latching means which functions not only to hold down the gate in its lower or closed position, that is to say, retain it in its normal lower or closed position, but also to latch and fasten it in said closed position whereby unintentional or accidental raising movement thereof is positively prevented.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, such gate hold-down and latching means comprises a latch bar or strap 40 rigidly affixed to the gate; a keeper 42 having the form of a hook which is affixed to the latch post 18; and a latching member 44 operatively carried by said keeper 42. Preferably, the latch bar 40 is rigidly afiixed to the cantilever beam element 12 of the gate and extends in continuation thereof to a point well forwardly of the latch post 18. The keeper hook 42, shown to be made of metal strap stock, is aifixed to the post 18 at a level thereof and in position such that it is adapted to receive the latch bar 40 when the cantilever beam 12 is in its lowered horizontal or gate-closed position. Accordingly, said hook is disposed vertically and in downwardly facing relation, thus to present or face its mouth (the space between the body portion 42a and the bill portion 42b of the hook) to the latch bar 40. Illustratively, the keeper hook 42 is secured to the post 18 by screws 46a, 46b passing through spaced openings provided therefor in the body portion 42a of the hook.

The aforesaid latching member 44, which illustratively has the form of a ring or loop, is pivotally connected to the body portion 42 of the keeper hook at a point below said bill portion 42b thereof, and it has vertical dimension such that its upper portion extends into the hook space. Consequent to the illustrated mounting and arrangement of the latching member 44, it tends to incline or lean at an angle of approximately 30 from the vertical across the orifice leading to the mouth of the keeper hook against the bill portion 42b of said hook, against which its upper end norm-ally bears. However, due to its pivotal connection with the keeper hook, said latching member may be swung in an ascending arc, either manually or upon being engaged by the latch bar 40 moving through the mouth of said hook into the interior space thereof.

From the above, it will be seen that the gate may be simply latched in its closed or horizontal position by actuating the same downwardly a small distance past the horizontal, as results in the latch bar 40 arriving at a level below that of the mouth of the keeper hook 42, and thereupon permitting the gate to raise under the bias of the spring 30. Assuming that the latch bar 40 is vertically aligned with the mouth of the keeper hook 42, it will pass into the same through its orifice, during the course of which it pushes the latching member 44 upwardly, whereupon it moves in an ascending arc towards the :body portion 42 of said hook. Continued upward movement of the gate, and particularly of the latch bar 40, of course results in the latter engaging against the upwardly disposed bend or bight portion of the keeper hook, but also it results. in said latch bar moving past the latching member 44, which is now free to return to I its normal inclined or leaning position illustrated, which it proceeds to do under the force of gravity. Such results in the mouth of the hook being re-closed and it follows that the latch bar 40 cannot then lower and thereupon disengage from the keeper hook until the latching member 44 is manually swung to its retracted position against the body portion 42a of the keeper hook. Accordingly, it will be seen that the invention provides a simple gate hold-down and latching means which is effective and thoroughly dependable in its action.

Should it be desired to lock the gate closed, a padlock may be cooperated with the aforesaid hold-down and latching means in such manner as to in effect convert same to a locking means. Such may be simply achieved by drilling or otherwise providing a hole 48 in the bill portion 42b of the keeper hook 42, which is so related to the opening of ring-form latching member 44 that the shackle 50 of a padlock 52 may be passed through both the ring and hole, thereby to lock the latching member 44 to said hook in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3. When the parts are in the position-illustrated in the latter figure, it will be appreciated that the latch bar 40 cannot be disengaged from the keeper hook short of unlocking and disengagement of the padlock '52.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A latch for fastening a vertically swinging gate, which is biased to open position, in its closed position to a post member, said latch comprising a latch bar aflixed to the gate and partaking of its vertical motion and being adapted in the closed position of the gate to extend horizontally therefrom relative to the post member, a keeper hook having a body portion and a bill portion defining a mouth therebetween and being aflixed to the post member .at a level at which it is operative normally to maintain the gate in its closed position, said keeper hook being disposed vertically and with its said mouth opening downwardly and in the plane of vertical motion of the latch bar, whereby it is adapted to receive the latch bar upon the latter moving vertically upwardly into said mouth through the orifice thereof, and a latching member pivotally connected to the body portion of the keeper hook at a point below the bill portion thereof and being biased so as to incline at an angle across the mouth orifice and normally bear against said bill portion, the pivotal mounting arrangement of the latching member 'being adapted so that the latching member may be swung in an ascending arc away from said bill portion to a substantially vertical retracted position against said hook portion either when actuated manually or when engaged by the latch bar moving vertically upwardly into the keeper-hook mouth but restrained by the bill portion from swinging in a descending arc past said bill portion.

2. A latch substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bill portion of the keeper hook against which said latching member bears and said latching member are each provided with an opening and said openings are adapted to receive the shackle of a padlock.

3. A latch substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bill portion of the keeper hook against which said latching member hears is provided with an opening, and the latching member has the form of a ring whose opening is related to the first opening in such manner that the shackle of a padlock may be passed through both said openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,199 Merker June 16, 1903 1,008,220 Tullis Nov. 7, 1911 2,545,038 Kingdon Mar. 13, 1951 

